The IDF said seven projectiles were launched from Gaza at the Jerusalem area on Monday evening, one of which was intercepted by Iron Dome. The attacks started at 6 p.m. after Hamas had given Israel a deadline to withdraw forces from al-Aqsa compound on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Overnight on Monday and throughout Tuesday, Hamas continued its onslaught, firing hundreds of rockets on the South targeting Ashkelon and Ashdod. As of this writing, two women have been killed and dozens more wounded.
In response to the Hamas assault, IAF jets struck targets in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources reported that nearly 30 people were killed, most in the Israeli strikes but also as a result of rockets fired by Hamas that fell short, landing in Gaza.
It’s a familiar script played out many times before, in which Hamas and its cronies goad Israel into retaliating, and then play the victim card.
In an effort to defuse tensions, Israel Police changed the route of the traditional Jerusalem Day march in the Old City, switching it from Damascus Gate to Jaffa Gate, but the parade was called off when the rockets started falling. In the end, the terrorists got their way, plunging the region into another round of ping-pong violence in which civilians on both sides suffer.
What is required now is for the government to set clear goals, conduct a smart military operation, stop the rocket attacks, and restore security. At the same time, a dialogue must be conducted via international mediators – the UN and US, Egypt and Qatar – to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the rocket fire on Israel “in the strongest terms,” urging all sides to calm the situation and pledging that the US would remain “fully engaged.” He praised steps by Israel to cool things down, including the Supreme Court decision to postpone its ruling on the planned eviction of dozens of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem.
Israel must now engage in a public relations campaign to present its case effectively to the world. It has done nothing wrong, except for allowing a terrorist organization to gain the upper hand. It must now prevent Hamas from gaining international sympathy in its hollow attempts to portray itself as the guardian of Palestinian rights in Jerusalem.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority, regional neighbor Jordan, and Arab citizens of Israel – as exemplified by the mob of protesters in Lod on Monday night – shouldn’t be spreading lies that Israel, without provocation, threatened Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount.
Israel’s government is not blameless. Tensions had been mounting during Ramadan, which ends on Wednesday, with ongoing clashes between police and Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem’s Old City and elsewhere.
While Hamas does not need an excuse to attack Israel, the government should have done more to contain the situation and try to defuse it before the violence spiraled out of control. The perfect storm – Ramadan, Jerusalem Day, Sheikh Jarrah, and political instability in Israel – all contributed to the reality that the people of southern Israel now find themselves.
To help Israel find a way to end this and restore peace and security, world leaders need to convey clearly to Hamas that terrorism is not acceptable under any circumstances. If those leaders want to see peace in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the region, they must side with Israel against these blatant unwarranted acts of terror. This is important so Hamas and the Palestinians learn that terrorism does not pay and does not work. Firing rockets into civilian areas cannot be rewarded. Instead, it needs to be punished.
Israel is not responsible for the current escalation, but it should try to end it as soon as possible. This can’t happen without the international community supporting Israel, rather than siding with the real culprits.